Method and apparatus for delivering liquid fabric treatment compositions in washing machines

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for delivering and transferring a liquid fabric treating composition to saturated clothing within a clothes washing machine during the course of a laundering operation comprises operating the washing machine in the conventional fashion to perform a washing cycle and a rinse cycle. A liquid fabric treating composition is introduced into the washing machine with the saturated clothing after completion of the rinse cycle but in advance of the spin cycle. The liquid fabric treating composition and the saturated clothing are tumbled together so that an effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition may be transferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid fabric treating composition with water that is contained in the clothing after completion of the rinse cycle. The spin cycle in then initiated, after which time the clothing may be removed from the washing machine for drying.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/882,685 filed Dec. 29, 2006 for allcommonly disclosed subject matter. U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.60/882,685 is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entiretyto form a part of the present disclosure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering a liquidfabric treatment composition to clothing within a clothes washingmachine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are generally two types of clothes washing machines commerciallyavailable, namely, top loading machines and front loading machines.Although operation of such machines varies to some extent frommanufacturer to manufacturer, typically water is introduced into themachine with the clothing and detergent is added either manually orautomatically in advance of a washing cycle. After completion of thewashing cycle, the wash water is drained and clean rinse water is added.The clothes are rinsed in a rinse cycle and then the rinse water isdrained from the washer leaving the clothing saturated with water. Aspin cycle is initiated to remove as much water as possible from theclothing, after which the damp clothing may be removed from the washingmachine for drying.

Fabric treating compositions have been developed which are capable ofimparting one or more of a variety of properties to articles ofclothing, such as softness, fragrance, brightening, bodying, reducedstatic, anti-soiling, anti-creasing and others. Liquid fabric treatingcompositions, such as liquid fabric softeners sold under the “Downy”brand owned by Proctor & Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio, are conventionallyintroduced into both front loading and top loading clothes washingmachines during the rinse cycle. Front loading washing machines use muchless water than top loading machines in the rinse cycle, but with bothtypes of machines a significant quantity of water is neverthelessintroduced into the washing machine. Consequently, liquid fabrictreating compositions added during the rinse cycle must be delivered inrelatively high concentrations in order to transfer onto or into thefabric of the clothing. In addition to the expense of concentratedfabric treating compositions, it has been found that a significantpercentage of such compositions fail to effectively transfer to theclothing and are washed away with the rinse water at the end of therinse cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for delivering andtransferring a fabric treating composition to wet clothing within aclothes washing machine. In the presently preferred embodiment, thewashing machine is operated in the normal fashion through the rinsecycle, i.e. rinse water is introduced into the washing machine followingthe wash cycle and then drained leaving the clothing saturated withwater. Unlike conventional washing machines, a liquid fabric treatingcomposition is introduced into the washing machine with the saturatedclothing after completion of the rinse cycle but in advance of the spincycle. The liquid fabric treating composition and the saturated clothingare tumbled together for a period of time so that an effective amount ofthe liquid fabric treating composition may be transferred to theclothing as a result of contact of the liquid fabric treatingcomposition with water contained in the clothing. The spin cycle in theninitiated, after which time the clothing may be removed from the washingmachine for drying.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferredembodiment of this invention will become further apparent uponconsideration of the following description, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the method of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view, in partial elevation, of afront-loading washing machine with means for dispensing a fabrictreatment composition onto clothing within the drum of the washer; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the reservoir of the washing machinedepicted in FIG. 2, with its drawer partially open.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the present method of transferring aliquid fabric treating composition to clothing in a washing machineduring the course of a laundering operation is schematically depicted ina block diagram. Boxes 10, 12, 14 and 16 are intended to collectivelyrepresent a washing cycle performed in conventional top loading or frontloading washing machines. The steps denoted by boxes 10, 12 and 14 maybe performed in any sequence, i.e. the water could be introduced intothe washing machine first and then clothing followed by the detergent,or the water and detergent could be introduced together followed by theclothing etc. Generally, the clothing is washed in a washing machine bythe combination of water and detergent during a washing cycle, depictedby box 16. For purposes of the present discussion, the term “clothing”is intended to be broadly construed as applying to essentially any itemwhich is commonly laundered in a washing machine, including, withoutlimitation, articles of clothing, sheets, towels, rugs and other itemsmade of fabric.

Once the washing cycle is completed, the wash water is drained from thewasher as depicted by box 18. It is contemplated that draining of thewash water may be accomplished in any suitable fashion, such as byspinning the drum of the washer or the like. A rinse cycle is thenperformed as schematically represented by boxes 20, 22 and 24 in FIG. 1.Generally, rinse water is added to the washer, as in box 20, theclothing is rinsed as represented by box 22 and the rinse water isthereafter drained. See box 24. Variations of such rinse cycle arecommon. For example, depending on the particular model of washingmachine the rinse cycle may comprise several cycles of adding water tothe drum of the washer, agitating the clothing with the added water andthen spinning the drum to remove water from the washer and from theclothing. In conventional washing machines and methods of launderingclothing, liquid fabric treatment compositions such as fabric softenersare typically introduced into the drum of the washer near the end of therinse cycle after the drum has been filled or partially filled with aquantity of rinse water but before the rinse water is drained. Thefabric treatment composition mixes with the rinse water and istransferred to the clothing as it is agitated within the drum. As notedabove, the introduction of fabric treating compositions such as fabricsofteners into the rinse water during the rinse cycle requires suchcompositions to be relatively concentrated and adversely affects theefficiency with which the compositions may be transferred to theclothing. In contrast, the method and apparatus of this invention allowsthe rinse cycle to proceed to completion without the addition of aliquid fabric treating composition.

It is recognized that even if the rinse cycle of a conventional washingmachine ends with spinning of the drum to drain the rinse water, theclothing in the drum is nevertheless saturated with water. The method anapparatus of this invention includes two activities conducted betweenthe end of the rinse cycle and before the initiation of the spin cycle.After the rinse water is drained but before initiating the spin cycle,liquid fabric treating composition is directed into contact with thesaturated clothing within the washing machine. See box 26. As discussedbelow, this may be accomplished by spraying the composition from anozzle located within the interior of the drum or other means. Thesaturated clothing and liquid fabric treating composition are tumbledfor a period of time sufficient to transfer an effective amount of theliquid fabric treating composition to the clothing as a result ofcontact of such composition with water contained within the clothing.See box 28. The spin cycle 30 may then be initiated, and the clothingremoved from the washing machine when the spin cycle is completed. Seebox 32.

Without wishing to be limited by any particular theory of operation ofthe method of this invention, it is believed that the activeingredient(s) within the liquid fabric treating composition istransferred to the clothes within the washing machine as a result ofcontact of the composition with the water held within the saturatedclothing in the washer. No precise volumetric measurement can be givenfor the amount of water contained within articles of clothing followinga rinse cycle due to variations in the quantity of water employed in therinse cycle of different washing machines, whether and to what extentthe rinse cycle ends with spinning of the drum of the washing machine toremove water, the degree of water retention of clothing articles madefrom different materials (cotton, synthetics etc) and other factors, butsuch articles of clothing nevertheless contain some amount of water atthe end of the rinse cycle and for purposes of the present discussionare characterized as “saturated.” After contacting the saturatedclothing, the liquid fabric treating composition migrates or transfersthroughout the water held in the clothing, and transfers from onearticle of clothing to another while being tumbled together within thewashing machine. It is believed that the fabric treating compositionneed not make contact with the water contained in each individualarticle of clothing, but that it need only contact at least some of thearticles to transfer the composition thereon. Once some articles ofclothing receive the fabric treating composition, they transfer it toother articles by contact with the water in such other articles. By thecompletion of the tumbling cycle depicted by box 28 in FIG. 1, aneffective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition has beentransferred into or onto the fibers of the clothing to impart a desiredproperty to the clothing, as discussed below.

A wide variety of active ingredients may be employed in the liquidfabric treating composition depending upon the particular property orproperties to be imparted to the clothing. Such active ingredients mayinclude, without limitation, anti-creasing agents, anti-soil agents,bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents, bodying agents, softeningagents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing agents, fragrances, insectrepellants, germicides, lubricants, mildew-proofing agents,moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers and sizing agents. Additivesand auxiliaries may also be included in the composition, such aspreservatives, anti-static agents, fragrances and others.

The liquid fabric treating composition may comprise a carrier and one ormore active ingredients each capable of imparting a particular propertyor characteristic to an article of clothing. Such active ingredients mayinclude, without limitation, anti-creasing agents, anti-soil agents,anti-static agents, bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents, bodyingagents, softening agents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing agents,fragrances, insect repellants, germicides, lubricants, mildew-proofingagents, moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers and sizing agents.

The carrier may be water. The active ingredients noted above may includedifferent classes of compounds, as is well known to those of ordinaryskill in the art, but each compound selected for the liquid fabrictreating composition of this invention may be added to the carrier toform a solution, dispersion or emulsion at ambient temperatures, withoutthe addition of heat.

One particular type of active ingredient may comprise a single materialor a mixture of materials which are known to provide benefits to theskin. Clothing which receives a skin-treating active ingredient from theliquid fabric treating composition in accordance with the method of thisinvention subsequently transfers it to the skin when the clothing isworn by an individual.

The skin-treating active ingredient can comprise essentially any knowncomponent for treating human skin, such as insect repellants, UVabsorbers, skin moisturizers, tanning agents, wrinkle removers,deodorants, cellulite reducers, vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals, lipidlayer enhancers, hair growth suppressants, emollients, botanical activesand the like. The skin treating active ingredient can be derived from abroad range of classes of materials such as emollients, lubricants,super-fatting agents, natural extracts which provide benefits to theskin depending upon the nature of the natural extracts, the lees fromwine-making, DNA derivatives, hydrolyzed proteins both of animal andvegetable origin, derivatives of the hydrolyzed proteins, plantextracts, the skin-active portions of plant extracts and the like.

One particular skin-treating active ingredient suitable for use in theliquid fabric treating composition is commercially available under thetrademark PLANTATEX™ HCC owned by Cognis Deutchland GmbH & Co. Thisingredient is a wax dispersion with glyceryl esters, an emulsifier andwater. It contains skin treating components such as glycerol oleate,which is a lipid layer enhancer.

The liquid fabric treating composition may further include one or moreadditives and auxiliaries to provide known benefits to the treatedarticles of clothing such as anti-static properties, a pleasing aroma,improved shelf life and the like. For example, preservatives such asformaldehyde, parabens, pentanediol, sorbic acid and other classes ofcompounds may be added, as is well known in the art. A number ofdifferent fragrances can be employed in the composition to create thedesired smell of the clothing, including, without limitation, rose oil,lavender, lilac, jasmine, vanilla, wisteria, lemon, apple blossom orcompound bouquets such as citrus, spice, aldehydic, woods, oriental,baby powder and others.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of a washing machine 34suitable for use in performing the method of this invention isschematically depicted. The washing machine 34 comprises a housing 36defining a hollow interior 38 with an opening 40 on one side. A door 42is mounted at the opening and movable between and open and closedposition. A tub 44 is located within the hollow interior 38 and itreceives a rotating drum 46 coupled to a drive mechanism 48. The drum 46may have holes 50 to allow water and other liquids introduced therein,as discussed below, to pass through to the tub 44. These liquids may bedrained from the tub 44 via a drain line 52 within which a valve 54 anddrainage motor 56 may be mounted.

A reservoir 58 is mounted within the hollow interior 38 of the housing36, and it is coupled to a cold water line 60 having a valve 62 and ahot water line 64 having a valve 66. One end of an outlet line 68 may beconnected to the base of the reservoir 58, and its opposite end mountsto a dispenser such as a nozzle 70 coupled to the rotating drum 46. Asshown in FIG. 3, the reservoir 58 may be provided with a drawer 72having compartments 74, 76 and 78 for receiving laundering additivessuch as detergent, bleach and one of the liquid fabric treatingcompositions discussed above, respectively.

The operation of the washing machine 34 is governed by a controller 80,as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, to perform a launderingoperation. The controller 80 is coupled to the drive mechanism 48, tothe reservoir 58 and to the valve 54 and drainage motor 56 of the drainline 52. The controller 80 operates the washing machine in aconventional manner during the washing cycle represented by boxes 10-18in FIG. 1, and the rinse cycle depicted as boxes 20-24. After water isdrained from the tub 44 at the completion of the drainage cycle,identified by box 24 in FIG. 1, the controller 80 is operative toactivate one or both of the water lines 60, 62 and direct a flow ofwater into the compartment 78 of reservoir 58 where a liquid fabrictreating composition is located. The flow of water flushes suchcomposition out of the compartment 78, into the outlet line 68 to thenozzle 70. In the presently preferred embodiment, the nozzle 70 iseffective to spray the combination of liquid fabric treating compositionand water onto clothing 82 located along the bottom of the rotating drum46, as depicted by dotted lines 84 in FIG. 2. In order to enhance thetransfer of the liquid fabric treating composition throughout theclothing 82, the controller 80 rotates the drum 46 for a selected periodof time. Rotation of the drum 46 tumbles the clothing 82 and the liquidfabric treating composition together, as represented by box 28 inFIG. 1. As discussed above, it is believed that transfer of the liquidfabric treating composition throughout the clothing 82 takes place as aresult of movement of the liquid composition within the water containedin the clothing after completion of the rinse cycle. In order tomaximize the effect of such transfer, all or substantially all of thewater present in the clothing after the rinse cycle is preferablyretained within the clothing during the tumbling step of box 28.Consequently, the drum 46 is preferably rotated at a low speed duringthe tumbling cycle, compared, for example, to typical spin cycleswherein the drum may be rotated at 150 to 1200 rpm in order to removewater from the clothing 82. After an effective amount of the liquidfabric treating composition is transferred to the clothing 82, thetumbling cycle of box 28 is terminated and the spin cycle, representedby box 30 in FIG. 1, may be initiated.

While boxes 26 and 28 depicted in FIG. 1 and the discussion abovecontemplate that the step of introducing the liquid fabric treatingcomposition into the drum 46 of the washing machine 34 for transfer tothe clothing 82, and the step of tumbling the clothing 82 within thedrum 46 are performed separately and in that sequence, it should beunderstood that these steps could be performed simultaneously and/or ina different sequence. For example, rotation of the drum 46 can beinitiated before the liquid fabric treating composition is directed ontothe clothing 82. Alternatively, the liquid fabric treating compositioncan be introduced into the drum 46 at the same time it begins to rotate.Each of these variations is considered within the scope of the presentinvention.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents substituted for elementsthereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition,many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation ormaterial to the teachings of the invention without departing from theessential scope thereof.

For example, application of the liquid fabric treating composition ontothe clothing 82 within the drum 46 is described above as beingaccomplished by the flow of water through a compartment 78 in reservoir58, through outlet line 68 and out of the nozzle 70. However, it iscontemplated that the liquid fabric treating composition may be directedinto contact with the clothing 82 within the drum 46 by other means suchas a manually operated spray device, or alternative automatic means.

Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to theparticular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated forcarrying out this invention, but that the invention will include allembodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method of transferring a liquid fabric treating composition toclothing in a washing machine during the course of a launderingoperation, comprising: (a) introducing clothing into the washingmachine; (b) performing a washing cycle; (c) performing a rinse cyclefollowing the washing cycle, the clothing containing at least some waterat the conclusion of the rinse cycle; (d) contacting the clothing with aliquid fabric treating composition following the completion of the rinsecycle; (e) tumbling the clothing so that an effective amount of theliquid fabric treating composition is transferred to the clothing as aresult of contact of the liquid fabric treating composition with watercontained within the clothing; and (f) thereafter performing a spincycle.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which steps (d) and (e) are performedsubstantially simultaneously.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which step (d)is performed and thereafter step (e) is performed.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 in which the clothing is tumbled prior to contacting theclothing with a liquid fabric treating composition.
 5. The method ofclaim 1 in which step (d) comprises emitting liquid fabric treatingcomposition supplied from a reservoir from a dispenser and onto clothinglocated within the washing machine.
 6. The method of claim 1 in whichstep (e) comprises rotating a drum within which the clothing is locatedat a speed that allows the clothing to tumble substantially without lossof the water that is present in the clothing after completion of therinse cycle.
 7. A washing machine, comprising: a housing; a tub locatedwithin said housing; a drum located within said tub, said drum beingadapted to receive clothing to be laundered; a drive mechanism coupledto said drum, said drive mechanism being effective to rotate said drumwithin said tub; a reservoir containing a detergent and a liquid fabrictreating composition, said reservoir being coupled to a dispenser thatcommunicates with said drum; a controller coupled to said drivemechanism and to said reservoir, said controller being effective tooperate said drive mechanism and said reservoir to perform a washingcycle followed by a rinse cycle, said controller operating saidreservoir after completion of said rinse cycle so that liquid fabrictreating composition is emitted from said dispenser and into contactwith clothing located within said drum, said controller causing saiddrum to tumble the clothing with said liquid fabric treating compositionso that an effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition istransferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid fabrictreating composition with water that is present in the clothing afterthe completion of the rinse cycle, said controller being effective tothereafter initiate a spin cycle.
 8. The washing machine of claim 7 inwhich said controller simultaneously causes the liquid fabric treatingcomposition to be emitted from said dispenser and into contact with theclothing and causes the clothing to tumble within said drum.
 9. Thewashing machine of claim 7 in which said controller initially causes theliquid fabric treating composition to be emitted from said dispenser andinto contact with the clothing, and then causes the clothing to tumblewithin said drum.
 10. The washing machine of claim 7 in which saidcontroller initially causes the clothing to tumble within said drum andthen causes the liquid fabric treating composition to be emitted fromsaid dispenser.
 11. The washing machine of claim 7 in which saidcontroller causes said drum to rotate at a speed so that the clothing istumbled substantially without loss of the water that is present withinthe clothing after completion of the rinse cycle.
 12. The washingmachine of claim 7 in which said dispenser is a spray nozzle.